How good can Verlander be?

April 01, 2012|DREW SHARP | Detroit Free Press

LAKELAND, Fla.

Not worried about attaining entry into The Perfect Club, Justin Verlander prefers everyone see the irregularities that make him what he wants to be -- an ordinary guy who really doesn't take himself too seriously when he's not on the mound dealing 100-mile an hour smoke.

Does he understand how that conflicts with the growing opinion that the reigning American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young winner is the "perfect starting pitcher" in terms of efficiency of delivery? He doesn't place too much physical strain on his arm despite having the ability to push radar guns to their limit the deeper into games he goes.

"The worst thing I can do is put more pressure on me based on what happened last season," Verlander said. "That's why I don't focus on numbers like everybody else. I'm working on becoming a better pitcher and I know I can accomplish that even if the actual numbers might not jump out at everybody like last year."

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They didn't just jump. They soared far above the rim.

He won the pitching Triple Crown (most victories, strikeouts and lowest ERA) and became the first American League starter to win both MVP and Cy Young since Roger Clemens did it with Boston in 1986.

What really can you do for an encore?

Replicating 2011 (save, of course, for another no-hitter or a couple genuine flirtations with career No. 3) is an unrealistic expectation. What Verlander accomplished was one of those once-in-a-generation seasons that would lose some of its aura if it was easily duplicated.

But Verlander has comfortably adapted to his new-found celebrity. He has become the Tigers' most recognizable national figure. Every time he takes the mound, everything else stops because there's the possibility of something historic happening.

His success has brought the standard trappings of fame: product endorsements and speaking engagements.

"I knew, especially after the MVP, that I was going to have to be even more selective in what I choose," he said. "I worked with my publicist and agent to find the right opportunities. It would be great for the Tigers and great for Detroit, giving some positive exposure for the city. But I certainly didn't want to overexpose myself and do too much."

Any commercials must be consistent with his demeanor. He co-starred in a baseball video game commercial with Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model Kate Upton serving as the gatekeeper of The Perfect Club, a hallowed sanctuary for those who've tossed perfect games.

Verlander crashes the room, "disguised" as Randy Johnson. Security banishes him as he pleads the virtues of his already impressive career resume -- two no-hitters, an MVP and more than 100 victories in just six seasons.

He loved the script when he first saw it.

"It captured what I was looking for," he said. "It's something that I would've tried to do, crashing somebody else's party. It was consistent with my real personality. I like having fun and playing pranks."

The commercial was well-received for that very reason. Verlander came across as a regular guy with surreal physical abilities, and he's learned to distinguish between the two.

"The one thing I've told myself this off-season is that it's important to separate what I am as a person from the pitcher," he said.

That distinction also came across during a visit to Conan O'Brien's late night talk show in January when this finely tuned athletic specimen revealed to all that he's no different than anybody else when it comes to fast food tastes.

"The night before, as you can tell from my amazing physique, I eat Taco Bell," he told O'Brien about his pre-start dining ritual. He then looked dead into the camera and deadpanned "You're welcome, Taco Bell."

If he's really looking to go against type, he should offer his services to one of the local stations as temporary weatherman, considering how bad weather disrupted two of his postseason starts against New York and Texas last fall.

His face lights up at the suggestion, satisfying Verlander's playfully devious side.